Sleep is Simon
by Fading Grace
Summary: River's mind after a rude and hurtful awakening. It gets... odd. Oneshot. A single bad word.


I think that this looks more ugly than it should. Just reading it, I mean. It gets repetitive, becuase of how I had to write it to make it... Right. You know? Hahaha. Reference.

I've decided that I'm beginning to accrue a base of fanon that only one person will ever understand because she's the only one that's read enough of my stories.

Poppy is from another Firefly story I wrote, appropriately titled Poppy, but knowledge of that is not required to understand.

Oh. And any repetition is on purpose and I cut down as much of it as I could. I promise.

* * *

River opens River's eyes and immediately falls onto Her metal grating. This isn't Simon. 

River blinks away the pain and rolls onto River's back, staring up at Her ceiling. There is a bright, non-Simon light in Her ceiling.

River's eyes hurt because of the light in Her ceiling. River's chin hurts, but not because of the light in the ceiling. River's knee hurts, too.

River's shoulders are resting on River's hair, so River's shoulders don't hurt because of the grating, but River's scalp hurts because River's shoulders are resting on River's hair…

It isn't a Simon trade.

River closes River's eyes. River hurts in too many places.

Not Simon.

Not _Simon_.

_Not_ Simon.

Why did River fall?

River asks me. River always asks me when River hurts.

I tell River that I don't like it when River sleeps.

River tells me that River has to sleep. Sleep is Simon.

I tell River that Simon isn't sleep. I tell River that sleep is _good_. I tell River that I don't like it when I have to sleep just because River sleeps.

River tells me that Simon is good. Sleep is good. Sleep is Simon.

I tell River that River's logic is not Simon.

River asks me again. Why did River fall from Her ceiling to Her hurtful metal grating?

I tell River to ask Her. Maybe She knows.

River tells me that She would never hurt River on purpose.

I tell River that She isn't as Simon as River tells me.

River tells me that She is nearly as Simon as Simon. River asks me why River fell.

I tell River that River was sleeping and I don't like sleep. I tell River that I moved us because I don't like to sleep.

River asks me why we were on Her ceiling.

I tell River that Her ceiling is much more interesting than sleep.

Simon steps on the grating next to River.

River looks up at Simon. Simon is very, very Simon. River's non-Simon hurting is already Simonly disappearing.

I don't like Simon.

Simon asks River if River's chin hurts.

I don't like Simon!

River tells Simon that River's chin doesn't hurt anymore.

_I don't like Simon! _

Simon tells River that River's chin is bleeding. Simon tells River that River's not-hurting comes after Simon fixes River's chin.

I don't like Simon because Simon makes me go away!

* * *

Simon helped River down from the medical table. "There. You're all patched up, Meimei."

River smiled. "Thank you, Simon."

Simon didn't let go of River's hand when she should have wanted to go. She didn't try. "Meimei, you were lying on the grating for a long time."

River smiled. "Thank you, Simon."

"Why were you lying there for so long? I was afraid that you were concussed."

River smiled. "Thank you, Simon." She hugged him. "You make Poppy go away."

Simon started. "Poppy?" More carefully. "Who do you think is Poppy, Meimei?"

River smiled, even though Simon couldn't see her anymore. "We were talking about Her, and you, and sleep."

"Her? Serenity, right?" Simon was beginning to understand some of River's simpler syntax.

River nodded. "Poppy smells like poppies. And poppies-"

Simon held her tighter. "Poppies have no smell."

"Right!" River tugged on Simon until Simon obligingly lifted her up

She sang softly,

_Poppy smells like poppies  
And poppies have no smell.  
Simon takes the poppies,  
And burns them all in-_

An affronted Simon said, "Meimei!"

River smiled. "In heck."

Simon set her down again. "I'm glad that I have you, then, Meimei. You can tell me when Poppy's here and I can…" he hesitated, and finished resolutely, "burn them all in hell."

River jumped up again. She liked it when Simon held her up. "Hooray! Down with Poppy!"

…But I'll be back. Even She – and certainly not River – can't fight the Black.

* * *

I move that Serenity should be listed as a main character on FF. I mean, I understand why Poppy isn't - she's my personal fanon, after all. But She should be. SHe makes River more fun to write. 

And, Adi - that _is_ the Akitorial She.


End file.
